Interesting read, as we have all talked about some of these issues here on this board:

Quote:

With one of the most exciting regular seasons now completed and the playoffs about to begin, let me first thank you and all NFL fans for your incredible support. Many fans have been asking me where we stand on signing a new collective bargaining agreement with the players union. Let me update you and be clear at the outset:

I know we can and will reach an agreement.

My goal as Commissioner now is to help our teams and players find a solution that is fair to everyone and ensures that football becomes more popular, accessible, and fun. We want the next decade to be the best yet for our fans, and I’m ready to work day and night to make that happen.

We've come a long way. Compare where we are today with 10 years ago. From player accountability to player safety, more and better television coverage, upgrading the in-stadium experience, innovations like the RedZone channel, the Draft in prime time and playing the Pro Bowl before the Super Bowl, we are focused on doing what’s best for the players, teams, and fans. My priority is and always will be the game and the fans who love our game.

The NFL is great because fans care deeply about it. Economic conditions, however, have changed dramatically inside and outside the NFL since 2006 when we negotiated the last CBA. A 10 percent unemployment rate hurts us all. Fans have limited budgets and rightly want the most for their money. I get it.

Yes, NFL players deserve to be paid well. Unfortunately, economic realities are forcing everyone to make tough choices and the NFL is no different.

These are not easy negotiations, but the outcome can be positive. If both sides give a little, everyone, including fans, will get a lot and the game will improve through innovation.

Even in difficult economic times, a new CBA presents us with the opportunity to secure the future of our game. You may ask how will the NFL look under this vision?

A significant change would be to resolve fan complaints about preseason by modifying our 20-game format. Fans tell us they don’t like the quality of the preseason games, and we’re listening. An enhanced season of 18 regular season and two preseason games would not add a single game for the players collectively, but would give fans more meaningful, high-quality football.

Our emphasis on player health and safety is absolutely essential to the future of our game. We are strictly enforcing rules that protect players from unnecessarily dangerous play, especially involving hits to the head. We are changing the “play through it” culture to a “player-first” culture to ensure that if a player has a head injury, he doesn’t play again until his health is certain. We are also addressing the potential wear-and-tear on players in the way they train in-season and off-season.

It’s not just the health of players that concerns us. We must ensure the health of the league. That includes a new system that properly compensates proven veterans and retired players by shifting some of the outrageous sums paid to many unproven rookies. Earlier this year, Sports Illustrated published a list of the 50 highest-paid American athletes that included five 2009 NFL rookies. Every other athlete on the list was a proven veteran. In 2009, NFL clubs contracted $1.2 billion to 256 drafted rookies with $585 million guaranteed before they had stepped on an NFL field.

Don’t get me wrong: top draft choices will continue to be highly paid. All we’re asking for is a return to common sense in paying our rookies. Other leagues have done this and we can too.

These improvements and more will lead to better football, plain and simple. A forward looking CBA that is fair to players and clubs will lead to a great future for the NFL and our fans.

My job is to represent the game — the fans, teams, players, coaches and business partners. Protecting the integrity of the game and ensuring it thrives is a responsibility I take very seriously.

This is about more than a labor agreement. It’s about the future of the NFL. We have to improve and will be relentless in our quest. The commitment to our fans is to make the NFL experience even better in the years ahead. With a responsible CBA, we will fulfill that vision.

Happy New Year and enjoy the playoffs.

– Roger Goodell

_________________Lions Fan since King Kong was a Spider Monkey!

January 4th, 2011, 7:44 am

TheRealWags

Megatron

Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 amPosts: 12509

Re: Got a broadcast email from Goodell

I heard about this going out yesterday. Here's another perspective on it:

PFT wrote:

Goodell tells fans that league and players “can and will” reach an agreementPosted by Mike Florio on January 3, 2011, 12:06 PM EST

Joining multiple NFL owners in multiple contexts, Commissioner Roger Goodell has declared unequivocally his belief that the league and the players’ union “can and will” reach an agreement on a new labor deal.

The operative question remains whether that will happen before the offseason, training camp, preseason, and regular season, or some portion or combination thereof are wiped out.

Goodell’s vow comes in a Monday e-mail to five million fans, the full text of which we have posted separately.

The message attempts at times, in subtle fashion, to persuade the fans to align with the owners in the ongoing labor mess. But it’s a little too long and wordy, like the terms-of-service box that we inevitably claim we’ve read and understand so that we can get to the next step of the software-installation process.

Here’s a summary of the key points, as we interpret them.

“Economic conditions . . . have changed dramatically inside and outside the NFL since 2006 when we negotiated the last CBA,” Goodell writes, even as the league persists in its refusal to share with the union internal financial information that would support a reduction in the size of the slice of the pie that the players currently receive. “A 10 percent unemployment rate hurts us all. Fans have limited budgets and rightly want the most for their money.”

Whether it’s the economy or something else, the league is faced with a problem of significantly more less-than-full stadiums than in 2006, the first year of the current labor deal. NFL spokesman Dan Masonson told us Sunday that there were 26 blackouts in 2010, up from seven only four years ago.

Of course, it could be that the prices for the tickets in the markets affected by blackouts are simply too high. As the viewing experience shifts toward enjoying the game on HD and 3D televisions, it makes sense at some point for ticket prices to drop — and for the league to generate even more money from its broadcast partners as it harvests less from paying customers. As ratings go up and attendance goes down, it’s a no brainer for the league to seek greater revenue from the boob tube and less from the box office. (At some point in the future, the in-home technology continues to improve, large portions of the general-admission crowd at a football game may get in for the price of a movie ticket or less, since they’ll be in many respects serving as background extras for the ultimate reality show.)

Goodell’s e-mail also addresses the issue of expanding the regular season, presuming once again that fan complaints regarding the length of the preseason necessarily translate into a clamor for more games that count. We think plenty of fans want less preseason games and the same number of regular-season games.

The e-mail likewise repeats Goodell’s position regarding the need for a rookie wage scale, explaining that some of the money paid to unproven rookies should be shifted to veterans and retired players. It’s a point with which we agree in most respects.

“My job is to represent the game — the fans, teams, players, coaches and business partners,” Goodell writes as he wraps up the 16-paragraph message. “Protecting the integrity of the game and ensuring it thrives is a responsibility I take very seriously.”

We believe him. But the reality is that he was hired by and answers to the owners. Even though Goodell seems to be doing a far better job than any of his peers and predecessors when it comes to representing all constituents, his biggest challenge may not be getting the NFLPA to make concessions, but persuading the owners to do so.

There is too much money to be had by all involved. There will be football in 2011 and I expect a full season and these issues will be resolved.

I would agree except for one thing. I don't know of this is true or not, but I herd somewhere that because of tv contracts and things, the owners actually make more money with the lockout than they do with football being played. They don't have to pay player salaries or any of the expenses associated with running the team, stadium etc. If that's true, I can see the owners taking a hard line and the lockout possibly happening. I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

There is too much money to be had by all involved. There will be football in 2011 and I expect a full season and these issues will be resolved.

I would agree except for one thing. I don't know of this is true or not, but I herd somewhere that because of tv contracts and things, the owners actually make more money with the lockout than they do with football being played. They don't have to pay player salaries or any of the expenses associated with running the team, stadium etc. If that's true, I can see the owners taking a hard line and the lockout possibly happening. I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

I have heard that too about the TV revenue but I think in the long run they would be better off to settle right away to perserve the NFL image and to keep the interest of the fan base. I'm guessing, but I would think you sell more jersey and things with the players playing then with them being locked out.

_________________"When you eat crow, if you put barbecue on it, it's not so bad."-Brady Hoke

I have heard that too about the TV revenue but I think in the long run they would be better off to settle right away to perserve the NFL image and to keep the interest of the fan base. I'm guessing, but I would think you sell more jersey and things with the players playing then with them being locked out.

No question they have to get something done long term. I don't doubt that they will. But from a short term (from now til the start of next season) the owners may have all the leverage and may use it to get what they want.

_________________"Facts are stubborn things; and whatever may be our wishes, our inclinations, or the dictates of our passions, they cannot alter the state of facts and evidence." - John Adams

“The good thing about science is that it's true whether or not you believe in it.” - Neil deGrasse Tyson

January 4th, 2011, 2:27 pm

LionsFan4Life

Fired Head Coach (0-16 record)

Joined: October 30th, 2004, 12:30 pmPosts: 2205Location: Austin, TX

Re: Got a broadcast email from Goodell

I got the e-mail as well. Sure hope they can get a new CBA in place with a rookie pay scale and would like to see the current format of 4 pre-season games and 16 regular season games to stay.

There is too much money to be had by all involved. There will be football in 2011 and I expect a full season and these issues will be resolved.

I would agree except for one thing. I don't know of this is true or not, but I herd somewhere that because of tv contracts and things, the owners actually make more money with the lockout than they do with football being played. They don't have to pay player salaries or any of the expenses associated with running the team, stadium etc. If that's true, I can see the owners taking a hard line and the lockout possibly happening. I hope not, but it wouldn't surprise me.

As I understand it, whilst the TV money continues to be paid even if no football is screened in 2011, this is converted from payment for 2011 to an advance on 2012+ revenue and is clawed back during those years.

So for the owners, their cash-flow is maintained in 2011 (very helpful if it comes down to who can sit it out the longest) but ultimately they do make less money if there is a lock-out than if there isn't. It's just the impact of that reduction isn't felt immediately.

Overall, I hope both sides realise that failing to reach agreement will amount to them cutting off their noses to spite their faces. I think both sides are at the point where accepting the other side's current negotiating position would be better for them than a lock-out. So, in a completely rational world, they should be meeting somewhere in the middle and getting this sorted out. I guess we will find out if they are rational ...

January 4th, 2011, 3:12 pm

m2karateman

RIP Killer

Joined: October 20th, 2004, 4:16 pmPosts: 10408Location: Where ever I'm at now

Re: Got a broadcast email from Goodell

UK Lion wrote:

As I understand it, whilst the TV money continues to be paid even if no football is screened in 2011, this is converted from payment for 2011 to an advance on 2012+ revenue and is clawed back during those years.

This is my understanding as well. It goes from being a payment for services, to basically an advancement on services to be rendered.

Unfortunately, I have found that negotiations like this often don't get resolved quickly. To me, it makes sense that the money being paid to unproven, highly drafted rookies is out of control and should be more evenly spread to proven vets. However, I have heard it said that the NFLPA is looking more at reducing the years on the contracts, and not necessarily the amount being paid on a per year basis. So basically, the first pick in 2011, instead of getting a six year deal worth say $78M and $60M guaranteed, would get a four year deal worth $52M and $40M guaranteed. That's only one step that needs to be taken to help create parity, not unduly punish teams picking high in the draft via a financial headlock, and get money into the hands of the veterans.

I think rookie contracts need to be maximized to four year deals in the first two rounds, three year deals in the 3rd and 4th rounds, with two year deals for the remainder. This way a low performing rookie can get blasted out quickly without a huge cap hit, and high performing, low round picks can look forward to being paid better, earlier, without having to deal with sitting out camp to get their point across.

I also think that they need to re-think the way franchise tagging takes place. It shouldn't be considered a boon for the teams to do that, like it is now. It should be that players are hoping to get the franchise tag, not dreading it. That's the way it was originally intended, but the owners and managers soon saw it as a benefit to them and not necessarily the players.

Anyways....that's my thoughts.

_________________I will not put on blinders when it comes to our QBs performances.